Vein disintegrating mechanism having side boards



April 14,- 1953 A. L. BARRETT VEIN DISINTEGRATING MECHANISM HAVING SIDE BOARDS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1948 m.\ Mb m \wmmm El m lZwezzfor (41,66 fiawezz.

a e o o Q w M Q ms 3 April 14, 1953 A. L. BARRETT 2,634,963

VEIN DISINTEGRATING MECHANISM HAVING SIDE BOARDS Filed Dec. 28. 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 zy a.Lee $02 622.

April '14, 1953 A. L. BARRETT 2,634,963

VEIN DISINTEGRATING MECHANISM HAVING SIDE BOARDS Filed Dec. 28. 1948 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /0 #3 414 /05 M6 vi [720022202 QLee $021192;

Patented Apr. 14, 1953 VEIN DISINTEGRATING MECHANISM HAVING SIDE BOARDS Arthur Lee Barrett, Franklin, Pa., assignor to Joy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 28, 1948, Serial No. 67,627

This invention relates to material disintegrating apparatus and more particularly to material disintegrating apparatus having improved means associated with it for minimizing the escape of material which it tears'loose, and for insuring the delivery of as large an amount of the disintegrated material as' possible at the delivery end of the apparatus.

The invention finds particular utility with continuous miners. Continuous miners are machines for the substantially continuous disintegration of mineral veins, such as coal seams, and for the substantially continuous loading out of the disintegrated material, the disintegrating and loading out being carried on as a relatively continuous process interrupted only by brief intervals during which repositioning of the vein-attacking mechanism thereof or of the apparatus as a whole is taking place.

Continuous miners commonly comprise a movable base by which they are supported on and moved'over a mine bottom, and mechanisms supported by the base for attacking, disintegrating and loading out the constituent material of a series of vertical bands differently disposed across a Working face, until a strip extending from the mine floor to the mine roof and for the full width of the working face has been disintegrated and removed, after which another arcuate section extending across the width of the room or entry will be attacked, disintegrated and loaded out.

As a consequence of their mode of operation, which consists generally, in the case of the disintegration of any given band, of a sumping operation at the bottom, a vertical swinging operation', and usually a withdrawing movement, there will be, except for the band adjacent one rib-the rib at which the first of a series of vertical bands extending across the face is attacked, an opensided band attacked by the disintegrating mechanism, with the result that as the band is disintegrated a considerable amount of. material torn loose from the vein may escape laterally in the event no special intercepting and guiding means for the disintegrated material is provided.

The escape of disintegrated material may be considerably reduced by the provision of a' side guard plate, or side board. Such a side plate or side board will be of maximum effectiveness if it can be extended just as far forwardly with respect to the disintegrating mechanism as possible, and if it can be maintained in a position in which the upper edge thereof, assuming upward movement of the disintegrating mechanism to take place during the swinging portion of the 6 Claims; (Cl. 262-29) operating cycle thereof, will be at least as high as the upper run of the disintegrating devices. Moreover, such a device will need to be movable to a position with respect to the disintegrating mechanism wherein it will not interfere with standing mineral, either being made swingable to that end or being made retractable longitudinally'of the disintegrating mechanism, and also swingable, preferably, since it cannot be in the advanced position desirable for subsequent attacks on the vein when the first one of a series of attacks on a given transverse band is being made. Also, if the side boards are duplicated at the opposite ends of a disintegrating apparatus, one will at all times need to be in back position. Likewise, such a device should be so constructed that in the event that it strikes a projecting rib or core of coal,or strikes against the mine roof, it may freely swing down, yet nevertheless be held in its raised position, though yieldingly, with adequate force to prevent its being moved to a partially or wholly inoperative position except in the event that a substantial obstruction is met. Such a side board arrangement will also desirably have the controlling means therefor, that is to say its positioning means, power operable and capable of yielding backward in the event of the meeting of a counterthrust exceeding the forces tending to advance it.

One very desirable arrangement will consist of a pressure'fiuid operated, advancing and retracting means movable on a guided support element toward and from the outer end of the disintegrating apparatus, the guided support element supporting for swinging movement about a transverse axis a side board whose upward swinging is positively limited as by stop means, and which is depressible arcuately downward by swing about such axis against the action of yielding means, as for example, but without limitation thereto, a spring, the side board being retractable so as to lie wholly outside the face when desired, being advanceable into close adjacency to the portion of the face opposite which it is movable on all except the first band attacked on a given transverse face, and being swingable downwardly when an obstruction is struck in such a manner as to prevent substantial danger of breakage. Another desirable arrangement may comprise a suitably shaped side board, pivotally mounted preferably at a rear upper corner and yieldingly held in a substantially horizontal position when the disintegrating mechanism is horizontal and having its forward end so shaped that engagement by it during forward movement will cause its downward swing, there being provided means for yieldingly holding said board in its raised (extended) position.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved side board arrangement for minimizing the escape of coal or other disintegrated material from the disintegrating mechanism of a continuous miner or the like. It is another object of the invention to provide an improved side board having mounting means relative to which it is downwardly and rearwardly swingable when an obstruction is met but normally yieldably held in raised position. It is still another object of the invention to provide an improved slidable and swingable side board type of apparatus for use in association with a disintegrating mechanism one which may be advanced and retracted as well as swung upwardly and downwardly, and which may include arrangements so that one of said movements, preferably the swinging movement, may be eifected by resilient means while the other is more positively, or at least more forcibly, effected. It is yet a further object of the invention to provide an improved side board arrangement in which the side board may be positionable close to the forward end of the disintegrating apparatus, and desirably at least as high as the upper run of the disintegrating elements. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved side board arrangement having an expansible chamber motor controlled positioning mechanism for advancing and retracting the side board rectilinearly, and resilient means for maintaining the side board normally in its desired working position. Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings in which two illustrative embodiments of the primary invention and a subsidiary invention are shown,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a continuous miner engaged in the disintegration of thesecond of a series of vertical bands, which series extends across a face.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the forward portion of the continuous miner shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top view, with parts broken away, of the disintegrating mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the disintegrating mechanism, on a larger scale than Fig. 2, and with parts broken away, the improved side board'arrangement being shown in its forward and raised position.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the side board nearly as far forward, but in a depressed position.

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing the side board in its retracted, raised position.

Fig. '7 is a vertical transverse section on a further enlarged scale, the section being taken on the vertical plane of the section line of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7a is a diagrammatic view showing fluid supply arrangements.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the forward end of a disintegrating mechanism, showing a modified construction.

Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in Fig. 8, also showing the modified construction.

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section on the plane of the section line Iii-iii of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary diagrammatic view showing a disintegrating mechanism, constructed according to the embodiment of the invention ing mechanism 9 driven by a motor l9.

shown in Figs. 1 to 7, making an initial or rib attack on a face.

Fig. 12 is another fragmentary diagrammatic view showing a disintegrating mechanism according to the same embodiment of the invention working on a face near the center of the latter.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of another disintegrating mechanism, showing a different side board arrangement.

Fig. 14 is a side elevational view of the disintegrating mechanism and one of the side boards of Fig. 14.

Fig. 15 is an enlarged cross sectional view on the plane of the line l5--! 5 of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a view similar to Fig. 14, showing the side board in depressed position.

Fig. 1'7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section on the plane of the section line iL-I'I of Fig. 15.

Referring to the drawings, and first to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, a continuous miner generally designated I is shown working in an entry 2 in a coal mine. It operates by successively removing arcuate vertical strips of coal 3, each of which extends for the full width of the entry, the forward surfaces of these strips successively forming new faces, the face on which work is being done in Fig. 1 being numbered 4 and the next face to be attacked being numbered 4'. The removal of the successive strips is accomplished by the successive removal of a plurality of vertical bands which jointly make up the successive strips, each vertical band extending from the mine floor to the mine roof and being of appropriate depth normal to the face and of a width determined by the design of the machine.

The disintegrating apparatus includes a portable base 5 which may be of any suitable con struction, being shown as tractor mounted. On this base there is arranged a turntable mechanism 6 upon Which there is slidably guided for reciprocation a slidable frame 8, of which the opposite movements are adapted to effect sumping and withdrawing movements of a disintegrat- The disintegrating mechanism includes a vertically swingable frame H pivoted for vertical swinging movement upon an axis i 2 and adapted to be swung vertically by a hydraulic cylinder and piston means i3 connected by a connecting rod 14 to a depending arm l5 carried by the disintegrating mechanism. The disintegrating mechanism provides appropriate guides for a series of circulating chains, a portion of these guides being shown in Fig. 3, in which they are designated l6, ll, l8, I9 and 20. Guides at the opposite sides of the paths of each of the circulating chains mentioned cooperate in guiding the latter. A series of four circulating chains, respectively designated 2i, 22, 23, and 24, is shown in the drawings, but it Will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to any particular number of chains.

The circulating chains include disintegrating element carrying blocks 25 connected by intermediate links 26. Disintegrating elements 2'! are carried by the blocks 25, and these are illustrated as in the general form of conventional cutter bits, but they may obviously assume various forms and may also be arranged in various patterns by the appropriate arrangement of the several chains with respect to each other. The particular pattern of the disintegrating elements shown in several of the figures is that which is illustrated in the application of Harold F. 'Silver, Ser. No.

11,688, filed February 27, 194$,which application isownedbymyassignee.' W

' The disintegrating apparatus has as a part of it, upper side walls SUforming a trough which guides the disintegrated material and prevents the lateral escape thereof as the upper runs of the chains 2 I, 22, 23, and 24 carry the material back toward an opening}! communicating with a hopper or receivingv space from which the ma-' terial is moved by suitable conveying means to a rearward point of discharge. I These fixed side 'walls are tapered at their forward ends, as shown at 32. so as not to strike the roof in the raised position of the disintegrating mechanism. Necessarily, since they are not adjustablerelative to the disintegrating mechanism, they must terminate at a point at least slightly more remote from the innermost (forward) endof the dis-.

integrating mechanism than the maximum depth of penetration of the disintegrating mechanism. Thus there will be a substantial distance forwardly of the side Wa11s:30 along which lateral escape of material ispossible if noother provision is made. This distance at theside of the disintegrating mechanism which is'not closed to the escape *of disintegrated material may in certain machines now in use be on the order of close to twofeet in length and several inches in height. During the upswing, disintegration of material will be taking place from a -position about opposite the vertical center of the'forwardto notethattheupper side walls of the frame 5.

which guides the chains carrying the, disintegrating elements are relatively upright, and that at their tops they include trough-forming elements 38 consisting of outwardly sloping portions 31 and upper vertical portions 33, the latter being spaced apart from each other more widely than the side walls 30.

Longitudinally extending guides 4d are,.- as, shown, secured to one of the side plates of thedisintegrating mechanism, and guide a slide 4| which has a T-head 42 received within and-slide This element 4,! has.

able between the guides 48. pivotally secured to it, near its forward end, by

means of a pivot element '33,- a side board or side. plate '44. The latter has a rearwardly extending arm 45'to which a spring 48 is connected at one end, the other end. of the spring being connected at 41 to an car 48 formed at the rearward end of the guide element M. elongated, and has its upper and lower edges 49 and 59 relatively parallel to each other, the upper The side board 44 is.

edge having its forward end tapering on'a long arc 5i downwardly in such manner that while the side plate will not strike the innerend of the recesses left by the successive removal of bands of material, yet it will leave very little room for the escape of material. The rearward end 52 of the upper side of the sideboard is cut away to provide a surface 53 adapted toengagea stop "element 54 positioned as shown in'l igs. 5 and '7 at 55 and carried by theslide' M. A piston rod 4|. This piston rod has 'a piston 53 at its rearward end which is reciprocable in theborelillof 51 is pivotally connected at '58 to aconnecting v device carried by the rearward end of the slide a cylinderi I :mounted by pads 62 and 63 fixedtothe. side of the disintegrating mechanism. Hydraulic fluid may be admitted through conduits 64 and 65 to the opposite ends of the cylinder iii to effect retraction and advance of the side board construction which has been described. A desirablesource of hydraulic fluid for the purpose is the spray water which is usually supplied at a pressure on the order of 65 p. s. i. to keep down dust. I At this pressure, forces sufficient to force back the parts, and, yet without breakage, may expel fluid from the'rear end of the cylinder.

The mode of operation of the structure which has been described will be readily understood.

and reference may be made to Figs. 6, 4 and 5 for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the mode of operation. Fig. 6 shows the side board in its retracted position.- The spring 45 holds it in itsupswung position, with thesurface 53 on the side board against the stop on the slide 4 l. is back just far enough with respect to the dis integrating mechanism so that when the latter is sumped' in to the coal or the mineral veinfor itsv full intended distance, on any cycle except the first, the forward end of the side board will not engage the face. Supply of fluid to the conduit 65 may be effected in any suitable mannerfrom any suitable source as from the water supply commonly provided for spraying on the portion of the face being attacked. This supply through the conduit 55 will not be effected by the operator until after the-first band has beendisintegrated, the band shown in process of disintegration in Fig. 11. When the disintegrating mechanism has, however, been brought to the position for attack on the second vertical band, as shown in Fig.1, then the side board will be moved to'the position shown in Fig. 4, audit will assume this position unless there is encountered some obstruction such as a projecting fin or core of coal extendingoutwardly from the face. If,

as the side board is moved ahead, it meets an ob-,

struction, it may be depressed as shown inpthe broken line position of Fig. 5 or even to the full line position of Fig. 5.- If the obstruction has been caused by a projecting. fin or core of coal.

and this either does not extend to the top or is broken. ff in the course of the disintegrating:

of the adjacent band, the spring 46 willautomatically bring the side board it up to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4i and the board will be advanced to the full line position of Fig. 4. The two; positions of. Fig. Bare intended-toindicate relationships of the parts in whichthe side board'has not been" forced completely forward.

. It will be evident that I have provided .a construction'in whichwithout any. interference with can occur. V

In FigS.' 8, 9 and 10' there is shown a modified construction in which there is no adjustableside board- .Here a narrow vertical plate section in is welded along the upper edge of the disintegratingmechanismframe at the forward end of the latter. This is extended up above the. to'piof; the.

The forward end of the side boardframe so as to be just below the lineof travel of the disintegrating-element-supporting blocks. At the forward end this plate tapers away to nothing at about the center of the forward end of the disintegrating mechanism. This arrangement does not have all of the advantages of the embodiment of the construction first shown, but does provide for some reduction in the free escape of material. Fig. 12 is included'to show the projected side board in use in the course of disintegration of the central upright band.

Referring next to Figs. 13 to 1'7, it will be noted that I have illustrated a modified side board arrangement in which there are two side boards I5 and I6, one at each side of a disintegrating mechanism TI. This disintegrating mechanism is somewhat more compact longitudinally than the disintegrating mechanism of Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 11 and 12, and it is wider, or at least has a greater number of chains carrying disintegrating elements, and the disintegrating elements are of a different shape. The fram and support of the disintegrating mechanism includes a side plate I8, intermediate guides 79, 8B, 8|, B2 and 93, and another side plate 18. These cooperate in the uiding of disintegrating element carrying chains 85, 86, 8'1, 88, 89 and 90, these chains including disintegrating element carrying blocks SI and intermediate links 92, and the blocks 9| carrying disintegrating elements 98. This disintegrating mechanism is sumped in at the bottom, swung up and, generally at least, withdrawn, in substantially the same manner as the disintegrating mechanism first illustrated and described.

The side boards and 16 in this illustrative embodiment of the invention are not rectilinearly reciprocable bodily longitudinally of the disintegrating apparatus but are instead confined to swinging movement in generally vertical planes with respect to the disintegrating medhanism.

They do not extend as far forwardly as does the side board of the first embodiment of the invention, when such side board is in its upswung and most forwardly advanced position. The side boards I5 and 16 are so shaped and pivoted that the encountering of serious resistance to their,

continued upward movement during upswing of the disintegrating mechanism will cause them to be swung down to the position shown in Fig. 16-, and thus'avoid breakage. Their forward ends are so shaped, moreover, as in conjunction with the-location of the pivot about which swinging movement takes place upon the meeting by the side boards of an obstruction while the disintegrating mechanism is being sumped into the mineral seam, to cause the side boards to be swung down and back to the requisite degree.

Referring now to Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17, it will be seen that each of the side boards consists of a main body portion 95 and a smaller terminal portion 96 by means of which the side board is supported for swinging in vertical planes. A bearing bore 9'! in a sleeve portion 98 welded to the side board turns on a bushing 99 supported by a pin or bolt I00 from a trough-forming portion ID'I carried by the disintegrating mechanism. A washer I92 and nut I93 prevent the lateral escape of the side board off of the bushing 99 and pin I00. When in the position of Fig. 14, the side board will be observed to be shaped in such a manner that it Slopes upward from the portion 96, as at I05. It has a relatively flat elevated top I06, and its forward end is formed on a long forward taper I01 and terminates in a nose I518. The side board is provided with a flange I09 bent Fig. 14 by yielding means which permit down' swing of the side board when an obstruction is encountered either at the nose I98, or by the up' per surface I06, or at other points which might engage obstructions during upswing or Sumping movement of the disintegratin mechanism. So as yieldingly to support the side board and permit its downward swing when necessary and to restore it to raised position when this is desired, resilient means in the form of an enclosed double spring structure H5 is provided. This includesa housing I It for a plurality of springs, pivctally supported as at I I! on a side frame l8 and having bores I I 9 and I23 in which springs IZI and I22 are housed, these springs engaging the heads I23 and I24 respectively, of rods I25 and I28 which extend through openings I21 in the front heads of the spring housings and are connected at I23 to a plate having an ear I29 to which a roller chain I39 is connected. This roller chain is at its other end connected to the upper corner ISI of a cam I32 which is herein shown as formed integral with the sleeve portion 99. The contour of the cam provided at I33 not only allows the chain I 30 to be smoothly laid or wrapped upon the contoured surface of the cam as the side board is forced downwardly toward the position shown in Fig. 16, .but also in view of the diminishing radius of the cam surface, there is provided gradually increased: leverage as the springs are compressed, thus allowing the side board to be substantiallyequally yieldable to obstructions which it may meet, regardless of its angular position.

links I34 of the chain at their inner edges lie at opposite sides of the surface of the cam.

It will be clear that in the free position of the side board, it will occupy the relation to the dis-- integrating mechanism shown in Fig. 14k. Its upper edge its will be nearly up to the level of the upper edge I 39 of the trough-forming portion IEII. Springs I2! and I22 will hold the cam I 32 in the position shown in Figs. 14 and 1'7, and the side board will be held raised. If during upswing movement of the latter the side board strikes an obstruction, it will be swung down either toward or fully to the position shown in Fig. 16. This will result in the wrapping of the chain I around the contour 533 of the cam, the pulling outward of the'plate I28 and of the rods H26, and the compression of the springs I2! and I22. When the side board is in position shown in Fig. 16, it will be evident that it lies wholly outside of the work. Due to the presence of two side boards, the apparatus may start to Work at either entry of a rib or room. Both of the side boards will have to be depressed during the performing of the first disintegrating operation on a vertical band. On all subsequent vertical band attacks until the opposite side of the room or entry is of the disintegrating mechanism or sump reached, the side board toward the rib toward which the initial attack was made will, except when an obstruction is met, be maintained in its raised position, while at the other side the side board will be forced down to the position of Fig.

16 because it will engage the solid coal. This The side board is normally It may be noted that the width of the cam is such that the sidedecrees these embodiments the boards may be moved out of the way, if obstructions are encountered, with out any danger of breakage, that these embodi ments' are simple, rugged and desirable, and that the modification is adapted to improve material handling and could be used with one or the other of the embodiments.

7 While there are in this application specifically described two forms and a detail modification which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that these forms of the same are shown for purposes of illustration and that the invention may be further modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims, 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

. 1. In a vein-disintegrating and material-conveying mechanism, a bar structure having ext ndin al ng its opposite sides upwardly proiec in walls ooperating with said bar structure t f rm n open-topp d tr u h ex ending alone he upper side of said bar structure, sai upwa d y pr jecting walls t rminatin short of the forward end of said bar structure, disinte rating elements carried by said her struc ure and support d for mov ments in rbits in parallel up right pl nes xtendin b w e said up rd y projecting walls, said orbits having forward portions at t e iorward n o s id bar structure in advance o t e for a d e ds of said wa s, and a side board mount d'on s id bar tructure and movable relative to the latter translationally and pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes, and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied durin Vein disintegration forming a forward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintegrating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face during a vein-attackin operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as aforesaid means including a uide extendi g lengthwise oi said bar structure, a slide recinrocab'ly supported by said guide, a pivotal connection, on an ax s P rpendicular to said pla s, b tw n said boa and slide, and ylinder and piston hanism for adv ncin a retracting said b d'and sl d in upright planes. I

2. In a vein-disintegrating and material-con- Qveying mechanism, a bar structure having extending along its opposite sides upwardly projecting walls cooperating with said bar structure to form an open-topped trough extending along the upper side of said bar structure, said upwardly projecting walls terminating short of the forward end of said bar structure, disintegrating elements carried by said bar structure and supported for movements in orbits in parallel upright planes extending between said upwardly projecting walls, said orbits having forward portions at the forward end of said bar structure in advance of the forward ends of said walls, and a side board mounted on said bar structure and movable relative to the latter translationally and pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes, and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied during vein-disintegration forming a forward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure'and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintegrating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face during a veinsattacking operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as aforesaid means including a guide extending lengthwise of said bar structure, a slide reciprocably supported by said guide, a pivotal connection, on an axis perpendicular to said planes, between said board and slide, and means for advancing and retracting. said board and slide in upright planes and normally maintaining said board in said one position when said board and slide are in their advanced position including cylinder and piston mechanism carried by said bar structure at one side of the latter.

3. In a vein-disintegrating and materialeconveying mechanism, a bar structure having extending along its opposite sides upwardly pro.- jecting walls cooperating with said bar structure to form an open-topped trough extending along the upper side of said bar structure, said upwardly projecting walls terminating short of the forward end of saidbar structure, disintegrating elements carried by said bar structure and supported for movements in orbits in parallel up.- right planes extending between said upwardly projecting walls, said orbits having forward per.- tions at the forward end of said bar structure in advance of the forward ends of said walls, and a side board mounted on said bar structure and movable relative to the latter translation:- ally and pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes, and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied during vein-disintegration forming aforward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintee grating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face during a vein.- attacking operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as afore! said means including a guide extending length wise of said bar structure, a slide reciprocably supported by said guide, a pivotal connection, on an axis perpendicular to said planes, between said board and slide, and means for advancing and retracting said board and slide in upright planes and normally'maintaining said board in said one position when said board and slide are in their advanced posit-ions including cylinder and piston mechanism carried by said bar structure at one side of the latter and a yielding connection between said board and slide exerting a turning moment on said board tending to maintain it in alinement with the adjacent side of said bar structure.

4. In a vein-disintegrating and material-conveying mechanism, a bar structure having extending along its opposite sides upwardly projecting walls cooperating with said bar structure to form an open-topped trough extending along the upper side of said bar structure, said upwardly projecting walls terminating short of the forward end of said bar structure, disintegrating elements carried by said bar structure and supported for movements in orbits in parallel upright planes extending between said upwardly projecting walls, said orbits having forward portions at the forward end of said bar structure in advance of the forward ends of said walls, and a side board mounted on said bar structure and movable relative to the latter pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes, and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied during vein-disintegration forming a forward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintegrating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face during a vein-attacking operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as aforesaid means including a pivotal mounting of which the pivot axis is perpendicular to said upright planes and means for exerting a yielding turning moment on said board tending to maintain it in alinement with the adjacent side of said bar structure.

5. In a vein-disintegrating and material-conveying mechanism, a bar structure having extending along its opposite sides upwardly projecting walls cooperating with said bar structure to form an open-topped trough extending along the upper side of said bar structure, said upwardly projecting walls terminating short of the forward end of said bar structure, disintegrating elements carried by said bar structure and supported for movements in orbits in parallel upright planes extending between said upwardly projecting walls, said orbits having forward portions at the forward end of said bar structure in advance of the forward ends of said walls, and r a side board mounted on said bar structure and movable relative to the latter pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes, and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied during vein-disintegration forming a forward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintegrating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face during a vein-attacking operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as aforesaid means including a pivotal mounting of which the pivot axis is perpendicular to said upright planes and means for exerting a yielding turning moment on said board tending to maintain it in alinement with the adjacent side of said bar structure, said pivotal mounting being adjacent the rearward end of said side board and said board in its aforesaid position having, when said bar structure is horizontal, a forward portion below a horizontal plane which, includes said pivot axis.

6. In a vein-disintegrating and materialconveying mechanism, a bar structure having extending along its opposite sides upwardly projecting walls cooperating with said bar structure to form an open-topped trough extending along the upper side of said bar structure, said upwardly projecting walls terminating short of the forward end of said bar structure, disintegrating elements carried by said bar structure and supported for movements in orbits in parallel upright planes extending between said upwardly projecting walls, said orbits having forward projections at the forward end of said bar structure in advance of the forward ends of said walls, and a side board mounted on said bar structure and movable relative to the latter pivotally in upright planes parallel to said first mentioned upright planes,.and in one position relative to said bar structure occupied during vein-disintegration forming a forward extension of the upwardly projecting wall at its own side of said bar structure and alongside but laterally outward of the most adjacent disintegrating element orbit, at a portion of such orbit which lies inside a working face duringa vein-attacking operation, said side board having for the supporting and positioning thereof as aforesaid means including a pivotal mounting of which the pivot axis is perpendicular to said upright planes and means for exerting a yielding turning moment on said board tending to maintain it in alinement with the adjacent side of said bar structure, said pivotal mounting being adjacent the rearward end of said side board and said board in its aforesaid position having when said bar structure is horizontal. a forward portion below a horizontal plane which includes said pivot axis, the distance of said pivot axis from the forward end of said board when the latter is in said position exceeding the distance of said pivot axis from the overlying portion of the then top edge of said board by such a distance that when said board is swung down to its'lowermost position about said pivot axis it lies to the rear of the portions of said orbits in which the-disintegrating elements attack a mineral vein. 7

' ARTHUR LEE BARRETT;

References Cited in-the file of this patent 'Doberstein Sept. 4, 1945 

